This invention is directed to a bench test for evaluating underwater waste containment by garments.
Swimwear for pre-toilet trained children is often designed to contain urine and bowel movements (BM) while the children are in a pool environment. Even though absorbent swimwear is designed to prevent leakage of urine and BM out of the garment and seepage of swim water into the garment, swim water inevitably tends to make its way into the garment. The swim water inside the garment mixes with the urine and BM inside the garment and may re-enter the swimming environment along with the urine and BM.
Quantifying the containment of BM by various swim garments has proven difficult with live subjects. BM incidence in children""s disposable swimwear products is low, typically occurring in about 8% of all such swim garments worn. Quantifying the amount of fecal material leaked into a pool is virtually impossible. Contributing to the difficulty is the fact that live subjects introduce an endless number of variables due to activity level, physical size, shape, etc.
In the past, qualitative testing has been used as a primary source of BM containment performance information. Qualitative testing is subjective, non-reproducible, and can be highly susceptible to tester and researcher variability.
There is thus a need or desire for a quantitative and/or semiquantitative method of evaluating swimwear for underwater leakage that eliminates the potential for variability.
The present invention is directed to a quantitative and/or a semiquantitative bench test that can be used as a dependable method of evaluating swimwear for underwater leakage. More specifically, the bench test of the present invention can provide qualitative analysis, i.e., a visual assessment of where leakage is occurring by watching the test as it runs; semiquantitative analysis, i.e., a determination of whether one pant leaks more than another based on fluorescence data, such as higher fluorescence numbers indicating greater leakage; and/or quantitative analysis, i.e., a determination of the exact amount of simulant leakage from a given pant by use of a calibration curve.
This quantitative bench test eliminates the potential for variability and can be used to test disposable swim pants, plastic pool pants, and other garments used as swimwear. Apparatus used for carrying out the bench test includes simulated bowel movement (BM) and a mannequin to imitate a xe2x80x9cfecal eventxe2x80x9d during water play.
The development of the bench test can involve motion studies to identify common swim motions performed during water play, along with the degree of rotation per second of the motion. In addition, anthropometric data can be compiled to determine average body measurements. A test mannequin, replicating only the mid-torso to mid-thigh portion of a child""s body, can be produced using the anthropometric data and the flexibility requirements determined from the motion study.
A sophisticated water tank can be developed that provides enough water for the mannequin to be completely submerged and also covering a mechanical motion mechanism required to simulate the motions identified from the motion study; i.e., walking/running, swimming, jumping, stepping up and squatting. After the mannequin is properly attached to the motion mechanism, fluorescent BM simulant can be introduced into the back of a swim pant or other swimwear garment worn by the mannequin. Throughout the product testing, fluorescence measurements can be recorded to determine the amount of simulant released into the water tank over time.
In carrying out the method of the invention, the bench test repetitively reproduces the common motions performed by children in water play. Quantitative, qualitative and semiquantitative measurements can be obtained using the fluorescent BM simulant and a fluorescence meter, such as a fluorescence spectrophotometer, to determine the amount of BM simulant that leaks from the swim pant, or other swimwear garment, into the pool water. Water samples can be taken and tested throughout the testing to determine the fluorescence intensity in the water, with the level of intensity indicating the concentration of the fluorescent dye and thereby indicating the amount of BM simulant leakage.
With the foregoing in mind, it is a feature and advantage of the invention to provide a dependable, quantitative or semi-quantitative method of evaluating swimwear for underwater leakage.